Detroit Free Press Lansing Bureau

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LANSING — The writing appears to be on the wall for those receiving public benefits in Michigan as two packages of bills aimed at tightening restrictions on those receiving unemployment or cash assistance from the state appear likely headed for Gov. Rick Snyder’s desk.

Many Republican legislators and their allies hailed the bills as a way to cut down on malfeasance. Many Democratic legislators and their backers, however, characterized the measures as punishing the already disadvantaged. The GOP holds solid majorities in the state House and Senate.

The bills deal with a host of issues: some dictating where those getting cash assistance can use their debit-like Bridge cards; others targeting unemployment benefits fraud, including one bill that seeks to deny unemployment benefits to potential employees — public and private — who either refused to take a drug test or tested positive for drugs. The unemployment benefits package passed the full Senate on Thursday.

And it was the bill dealing with drug testing that raised the most concern and debate.

“The federal government has said you can’t drug-test as a requirement for benefits,” said Tim Hughes of the UAW during testimony this week. “They are in the process of drafting rules for jobs that require a drug test. By the end of the year, those rules should be in place.”

Sen. Coleman Young Jr., D-Detroit, said the bill, which passed on a 28-10 vote, mostly along party lines with a Republican majority, was designed to promote a political agenda.

“If you were really interested in helping people getting employment, you wouldn’t kick them off unemployment, you would get them help for their addictions,” he said. “It’s about demonizing a group of citizens and starting a witch hunt to score political points.”

“To me it’s not politics,” said Sen. Mark Jansen, R-Grand Rapids. “This is to make sure that the people who deserve the money follow the rules to get the money.”

The bill provides exceptions for certain legal prescriptions, but does not include a specific exemption for medical marijuana. Jansen said he doesn’t think a “legal prescription” would include medical marijuana, but figures that matter will end up in court.

Concerning the legislation aimed at cutting down on unemployment benefit fraud, Sen. Rebekah Warren, D-Ann Arbor, said she was concerned that there weren’t provisions for people who had received benefits in error through no fault of their own.

If the state discovers an error, the person receiving the benefits wouldn’t be required to pay them back. But if the mistake was found during an appeal process, the recipient would have to pay back the benefits. The maximum unemployment amount someone can receive is $362 per week.

“If it’s not the worker’s fault or the employer’s fault, that repayment should be waived,” she said. “The person is still unemployed with limited resources. We should be forgiving when it’s not their fault.”

However, Delaney McKinley of the Michigan Manufacturers Association said during a committee hearing on the bill that, “regardless of fault, people shouldn’t get a windfall.”

Warren’s amendment to waive repayment for mistakenly given benefits was defeated.

In the end, the Senate voted overwhelmingly to pass most of the bills.

Because there were changes made to the package already passed by the state House, the bills will have to return to the House for concurrence before heading to Snyder for approval.

The bills targeting people who receive cash assistance would prohibit people from using their Bridge cards at ATMs at casinos, liquor stores where at least 50% of the profits come from alcohol, horse racing tracks and strip clubs.

People who receive cash assistance — on average about $540 a month — can use their cards to get cash at ATMs for things like child care costs or rent that normally aren’t paid with the debit cards.

Without the more stringent restrictions on ATM use, Sen. Rick Jones, R-Grand Ledge, said the state risks losing $40 million in federal funds.

“This is a very important package that will bring us in line with federal regulations,” he said.

While most lawmakers agreed that the restrictions against using ATMs at horse racing tracks, casinos and strip clubs make sense, the restriction at liquor stores was more problematic.

“I represent areas where there aren’t any grocery stores,” said state Rep. Marsha Hovey-Wright, D-Muskegon. “There are just convenience stores that they can walk to.”

A recipient can still use his or her Bridge card to pay for food in those stores, but would have to find an ATM at a different location for cash.

The bills are expected to be up for votes in the House and Senate next week.